Store-service apparatus



(NoModel.)

HBIGHBAUM.

` i STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. x No; 402,575. Patented May 7, 1889.

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pwidmgsmeu! ii l mqg'mmllllllllillmmpg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY EIOHBAUM, OF MOUN'I1 VERNON, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM S. LAMSON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,575, dated May '7, 1889.

Appnaion filed Jm 9,1887. serial No. 240,684. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: A

Be it known that I, HENRY EICHBAUM, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Store- Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object I have in view is 'to produce store-service apparatus for carrying cash or parcels which'will be simple and cheap in construction and efficient in operation, and in which the carrier will be propelled by force stored up at the end of the line and expended not as an initial impetus, but gradually and constantly throughout the travel of the carrier, and hence enabling the carrier to travel long distances and around curves.

The principle of propulsion employed by nie, and which I am the iirst to apply to store service apparatus, is the tractive force of a rapidly-revolving wheel. Such a wheel is mounted upon the carrier and travels with it. It is set in rapid motion at the end of theline, and is of sufficient weight to drive the carrier with the desired speed to the otherend of the line. As a simple form of apparatus, the principle is applied to a wheeled carrier traveling back and forth over a stretched wire way. At each end of the way the carrier runs up, an incline, so as to lift the tractiomwheel from the way, and is caught and held. A spinning device for putt-ing the tractionwheel in motion is brought into connection with it, when by a quick pull upon the cord 'the traction-wheel is given a rapid revolving motion, the carrier is released, the spinning` device withdrawn, and the carrierlowered to` viding a store-service apparatus with devices.

for driving a carrier by the t-ractive force of a revolving wheel on the carrier; and, further,

in various combinations of parts employed by me in applying this principle of propulsion to a store-service carrier, all as more fully hereinafter explained, and pointed out bythe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure lis a side-elevation of the apparatus at one end of the line, the spinning device being removed and the arm that supports it broken off Fig. 2, a top view of the apparatus including the spinning device, the cords being omitted; Fig. 3, a cross-section showing the end ofthe carrier and the spinning device; Fig. 4, af-sideelevation showing' the spinning deViceandfthe arm upon which it is 6o mount-ed; Fig,u 5, .a "top view of the catch-lever; and Fig. 6,1a top view of the forked platformw j A is they-ire way, which is stretched from the pipe-standard, pendant, or other suitable support, B, in the usual manner, to a similar or suitable support at the othery end of the line. The carrier has -a frame or body, C, which is hung beneath the wire, and is provided with three wheels, a, l), and D, which 7o ride upon the wire, the central wheel, D, which is the traction-wheel, being slightly larger than lthe'end wheels, a b.

To the body or frame C is removably attached a cash-box, E, or a parcel basket or receptacle of any of the well-known forms. The spindle of the traction wheel D extends through its bearings, and carries iiy-wheels c CZ outside of such bearings to give weight to the ltraction-wheel, although it is evident that that 8o wheel can itself be given sufficient weight for thepurpose. The ends of lthis spindle are provided'with 'disks carrying each two flat clutch-pins, e. The frame or Abody C of the carrier is extended beyond the wheels a l) into forked buifer-heads f, which on their under sides are provided with shoulders g to engage the catches at the ends of the line. The support B carries an arm, F, extending forward under the Wire way, and on this arm is piv- 9o oted the catch-bar G, having a shoulder to engage the shoulder g at the nearest end of the carrier. This catch-bar is extended behind the support B, andis provided at its rear end with an eye, through which passes the 0perating-cord- 'To the hub of the arni F is pivoted the forked platform II, which projects forward under the way, its two parallel arms being inclined downwardly and forming inclines, up roo which the carrier runs at the end of the way, (riding on small wheels h at the sides of the frame or body 0,) lifting the traction-wheel from the wire and engaging the butter-heads with the Catch-bar. Y

Under the platform Il and between it and the arm F is a spring, i', which keeps the platform at the upper limit of its movement, while between this platform and the catchbar Gis a lighter spring, 7a, for raising the catch-bar. The spring Iris made light, so that the carrier can readily depress the catch-bar and engage with it. An adjustable screwstop, Z, is provided to limit the approach of the catch-bar to the platform, so that the platform will be depressed by the depression of the catch-bar and at a point in the movement of the catch-bar which can be adj ustably fixed. A spring-buffer, in, is placed at each end of the way to stop the carrier.

An arm, il, projects from the side of the arm F forward on one side of and parallel with the way. On its end opposite the center of the carrier when the latter is held at the end of the way is mounted the spinning device. This has a square tube or frame, a, on which is mounted a slide, o, carrying a spindle having a disk with clutch-pins p at its inner end toward the way, acord-drum, K, on its center, and another cord-drum, L, at its outer end. The slide o is arranged to be moved forward by a cord, q, passing over a wheel, r, so as to engage the clutch-pins e Ip against the retracting force of the spring s. A spring-latcl1,t, engages a projection on the slide and holds it forward. The end of the latch z5 projects under one fork of the platform H and has an adjustable screw-stop, t', in its end, so as to make adjustable the point in the movement of the platform when it will trip thelatch and release the slide.

On the drum K is wound the operating-cord M, which passes thence over wheels u v andv downwardly through the eye in the tail of the catch-bar G to within reach of the operator.

Upon the drum L is wound in the opposite direction from the cord M a cord, N, passing over a Wheel, w, and provided at its end with a weight, N, which serves to wind up the operating-cord after it is unwound in operating the apparatus.

Upon the operating-cord at a suitable point above the catch-bar G is an adjustable button, ac, which engages the tail of the catch-bar and draws it downwardly.

Now, assuming the carrier in the position shown in Figs. I and 2, the traction-wheel D and the wheel b are lifted from the wire way by the platform, while the wheel a rests on the wire. It is desired to drive the carrier to the opposite end of the line. The cord q is first pulled by the operator. This draws the slide o forward and locks it thereby the latch t engaging the spinning device with the spindle of the traction-wheel` Then the operating-cord is drawn downwardly with a quick pull. The eifect of this is to iirst setthe traction-wheel to spinning rapidly. Then as the cord reaches the end of its movement the button strikes the tail of the catch-bar G and depresses it, releasing the carrier therefrom. The continuation of the movement causes the catch-bar to depress the platform, which lowers the'carrier to the way, the latch t being tripped and the spring s withdrawing .the spinning device before the spinning tractlonwheel touches the wire. As soon as the traction-wheel touches the wir@ the carrier runs out over the way to the other end of the line, and there runs up the platform and is caught bythe catch-bar, the traction-wheel being raised from the wire and allowed to spendits force in air. As soon as the attendant releases the operating-cord, the platform and catch-bar spring upto their positions of rest and the weight N on cord N winds up the operating-cord M ready for the next operation, the cord N having been wound up while the operating-cord was being pulled upon by the operator. The opposite end of the way has a similar apparatus, and the carrier will be returned over the way in the same manner.

lt is evident that many modifications can be made in the apparatus and still employ the principle of operation used by me and without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence I wish it understood that, except where specified in the claims, my invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement shown.

What I claim ism p l. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, and a weighted wheel on the carrier adapted to be spun and having sufficient weight to propel the carrier from one end of the way to the other by its m0- mentum, substantially as set forth.

2. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, aweighted wheel on the carrier adapted to be spun and having sufficient weight to propel the carrier from one end of the way to the other by its momentum, and a catch for holding the carrier at the end of its movement, substantially as set forth.

3. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, a weighted wheel on the carrier adapted to be spun and to propel the carrier along the way by its momentum, and

IOO

IIO

a rotating spinning device for spinning said.

wheel at the end of the way, substantially as set forth.

4. In store-service apparatus, the combination,with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, a spinning tractionwheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way, and a platform for raising the traction-wheel out of contact with the way, substantially as set forth.

5. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier travl eling upon the way, a spinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way, a platform for raising the traction-wheel from the way, and a spinning device for spinning the said traction-wheel when raised by the platform, substantially as set forth.

6. In store-service apparatus, the combination,- with a way, of a carrier traveling upon the way, a spinning'traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way, a spinning device and operating-cord for spinning the traction-wheel, and a catch for holding the carrier, said carrier being automatically released from the-catch, substantially as set eling upon the way, a spinning traction-wheel` forth. y

7. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, aspinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way,

a spinning' device brought into connection with the traction-wheel at the end of the way, and an operating-cord, said spinning device being automatically withdrawn from its connection with the traction-wheel, substantially as set forth.

8. In store-service apparatus, the'combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier travelin g upon the Way, a spinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way,4

a platform for raising the traction-wheel from the way, and a spinning device, the spinning device being automatically withdrawn by the depression of the platform before the traction-wheel touches the way, substantially as set forth.

9. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, a spinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the Way, a platform raising the traction-wheel from the way, a catch-bar for holding the carrier on the platform, an operating-cord, and a button thereon for simultaneously releasing the carrier from the catch and lowering the traction wheel to the way,substantially as set forth.

10. In store-service apparatus, the combin ation, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier travon the carrier for propelling it along the way, a platform and catch forraising the tractionwheel from the way and locking the carrier, a spinning device brought into connection with the traction-wheel, the operating-cord for working the spinning device, and a button thereon engaging the catch, and thereby releasing the carrier from the catch, depressing the platform,.and withdrawing .the y spinning device, substantially as set forth.

11. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier travelin g upon the way, aspinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propellin git along the way,

a spinning device, an operating-cord, and a weight for winding up the operating-cord, substantially as set forth. v

12. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a carrier traveling upon the way, a spinning traction-wheel onthe carrier `for propelling it along the way, a spinning device Amounted on a spring-retracted slide, and a latch for locking the slide forward, said latch being automatically released, substantially as set forth.

13. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier travelin g upon the Way, a spinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way,

. a vertically-movable platform upon which the carrier runs to raise the traction-wheel from the way, and the 'side rollers on the carrier for riding on such platform, substantially as set forth. Y

14. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier traveling upon the way, a spinning traction-Wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the Way, the pivoted inclined platform, the catch-bar, a spring for throwing the platform up, a spring for raising the catch-bar from the platforni, and a button on the operating-cord engaging the catch-bar, so that the catch-bar will be depressed, and will in turn depress the platform, substantially as set forth.l

15. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle carrier traveling upon the way,a spinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way, the inclined platform and catch,'and the two end wheels on the carrier for permitting the traction-wheel to be raised from the way while one end wheel rests thereon, substantially as set forth.

16. In store-service apparatus, the combination, with a way, of a receptacle-carrier travelin g upon the way, a spinning traction-wheel on the carrier for propelling it along the way, the inclined pivoted platform, the catch-bar, the springs for supporting the platform and catch-bar, the spinning-spindle mounted on IOO a spring-retracted slide, the latch for holding HENRY EIcI-IBAUM.

-\Vitnesses: I

WILLIAM PELZER, E. C. RowLAND. 

